It makes them more money. And most of their customers couldn't even explain how their engine works. And if the customer had an actual choice they would have purchased a more expensive car without this tracking.

Maybe the insurance cooperatives might. And then the private ones might alter strategies to compete.

It's a group thing. Because everyone around you are collectively driving like assholes, your rate goes up to compensate

False

Here’s a “funny” story. Back in the day I was working (IT) for insurance companies. I’ve pitched an idea to one of the larges companies about a device connected to an OBD port to track a driver’s habits and adjust premiums based on that. I was turned down, but I heard from an unofficial source that the company was already testing such a device. That was 15 years ago.

Privacy regulations? They don't know how to handle all the data? They realized they'd have to triple rates based on the actual data they were receiving?

Seat have me a OBD device as a "gift" for my new vehicle back in 2021, and supervised me installing their app. The car has an option to opt out of sending data to SEAT via my phone too. Totally not sketchy.

Imagine sharing this anecdote with no shame.

I hope you step in water while wearing socks.

So you were the "horse armor DLC" of car insurance companies. Congratulations

All your anecdote tells me is that you have questionable ethics.

Your phone isn't trackable? You avoided all the license plate scanners? Your work/home has a higher rate of accidents between them?

“Cost of living”. Sure people will start getting inflation beating payrises soon.

Mine nearly doubled over 2 years. They cited increased costs of parts and repair work. Might be true, might not be. Might be they increased prices more than their costs did.

Your car might not be trackable but do you use Google maps or Waze?

The article alleges, though without evidence, that the tracking is just an excuse to raise rates.

A quick search didn't turn up quite the right statistics, but traffic fatalities have been seriously on the rise in the US. That probably implies higher payouts. (WP)

But also, when trackable unsafe drivers have to pay more (and trackable safe driver less), then the unsafe drivers will prefer to be untrackable. You may be on the receiving end of the recalculated actuary tables.

Untrackable might mean you get lumped with the worst actuary table in terms of risk as an unknown quantity or as a form of pressure to let them track you or as a way to create a defence moat of people (your rates will go up like these untrackable vehicles) if the government tries to intervene to stop them from basing rates to tracking.

I'm driving way safer and way less miles, combination of shorter commute and I don't want to wear my truck out driving like an ass....I'm my rate is literally doubled